HOLIDAY IN PHUKET
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| Sawadee kap (Hello) |
Hello
everyone, it is me again.
During
my mid-term school holiday, I went to
Phuket Island in Thailand. I went to Phuket by Air Asia and I was there from 28
May until 2nd of June 2012. I had a fantastic 7 days exploring the
islands there. I stayed in C & N Hotel in Patong. Phuket is Thailand’s biggest island, about the
size of Singapore. It has a local population of around 200,000, with transients
about five times more. Phuket is warm, humid, but pleasant all year long. There
are 2 seasons: rainy from May to November, and hot from December to April. The
best weather is from November to April.
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| Wet day at Patong |
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It
was a rainy day on our 1st day of arrival, so we walked around Patong
town. There are many shops selling
T-shirts, slippers, flip-flops, and other types of local souveniers.
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| Tiger Pub |
There were also many pubs. In Patong, the famous pubs are the tiger pubs. Beautiful tiger sculptures adorn the buildings of the pubs. Just awesome!
In the evening,
we went to Patong Beach. It was very windy and the waves were strong and very
choppy. For dinner, we had a variety of
spicy and tasty Thai dishes and the price was incredibly cheap. Do not miss
their awesome ‘Tom Yam soup’. You will definitely ask for more.
On
the second day, we went to Phi-Phi Island, and we took the Sea Angel Luxury
Cruise. The journey was wonderful but half way through the journey the weather
changed for the worst. The sky turned dark. The winds were strong, and it rain
heavily. The cruiser was tossing left and right in the Andaman Sea, and the sea
was choppy and the waves were high. It was a terrible and frightening
experience for me. I was glad that we all made it to the island safely.
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| Phi Phi Island |
Phi-Phi Island is a beautiful island with
white sandy beaches and crystal clear blue water. Many shops are lined along
the long stretch of the island. There are no cars or motorbikes on the island.
Everyone walks and there are some local people and children who cycle around
the island.
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| Viking Cave |
We went sightseeing at Maya Bay, Bida Island, and Pileh Cove . I
didn’t swim there because it was very choppy and deep. In Maya Bay, the wind was also very strong
too. However, it is a very nice place. We also cruised past Viking Cave and the
Monkey Beach. Viking Cave is a place where the locals go to collect birds’ nest
which is a Chinese delicacy.
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| Raya Island |
Our
next destination is Raya Island which is 30 minutes by speedboat from Phi Phi
Island. Raya Island is indeed a very, very, very, beautiful with its white
sandy beach and crystal clear water.
I had a chance to go snorkeling. It was my
first experience and I learn how to use the breather. I was scared at first but
after some practise, I overcome my fear. Then it was time for
SNORKELING!!!!!!!!!!
WOW!!!!!!!!
WHAT A SIGHT TO BEHOLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I saw beautiful corals and
many fishes under the sea. When I came back into the boat, our guide caught a
cute little fat fish called ‘Ikan buntal’ in the Malay language. It looks like
a puffer fish but it is not. It is slimy and feels soft like a soft toy. I
really did enjoy my first snorkeling adventure.
My
next destination is the famous James Bond Island. All of us got off from our big boat and into this small long boat to reach James Bond Island. What an adventure!
This is a famous landmark for
the James Bond movie "The Man With the Golden Gun". Most tourist will
make it a point to visit James Bond Island.
We went on a package tour organize
by the Amazing Canoeing Company-a very good and efficient tour company. Our
tour guide, Nuch, is a very friendly person who made us feel very at home in
the boat.
On
the way to James Bond Island, we cruised past the magnificient limestone cliffs
of Phanga Bay. Phanga Bay is the one of
Thailand’s most remarkable attractions. It is located off the cost of Phuket in
the Andaman Sea. What is so beautiful about Phanga Bay is the limestone cliffs
that jut vertically out of the emerald green water.
Next, we stop at Koh Hong and the smaller
islands around which have a collection of “hongs” for canoeing and sightseeing.
The "hongs" are actually collapsed cave systems in the interior of
each island which is only accessed by tough, purpose-designed inflatable canoes
through sea-caves at low tide.
Canoeing
in the crystal clear water was fun and fantastic. We canoed into the caves of
the Hong Island. We saw the diamond stone which is a crystalised stalagtite.
Then we canoed out into the lagoon in Hong Island. It was serene and quiet.
Next, we went to Koh Phanak which is
famous for its crystal clear lagoons. Here, we went canoeing again. We
paddled through the low dark caves . It was mysterious and yet awesome touching
the cold wet walls of the caves. Then we paddled into the beautiful lagoon. Open
to the sky and filled with jungle flora and fauna,the lagoon was simply magnificent
and nature at its best.
My
holiday at Phuket was extremely exiciting and amazing for me. I had my first
experience in snorkeling, canoeing, and driving an all-terrain vehicle(ATV). I like Phuket because it is fun and
adventurous.
